


The Very Best of Friends

by vix_spes



Category: North and South - Elizabeth Gaskell | UK TV, Persuasion - Jane Austen
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Established Relationship, F/M, Friendship, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-23
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2019-02-19 02:46:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13114359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vix_spes/pseuds/vix_spes
Summary: Anne thinks on her friendship with Margaret Thornton during her confinement.





	The Very Best of Friends

**Author's Note:**

  * For [slightlytookish](https://archiveofourown.org/users/slightlytookish/gifts).



> This is a continuation of my other fusion fic, [Of Like Mind](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11527128)

As she glanced out of the window for what must have been the tenth time that hour, Anne felt more like an eager schoolgirl than a married woman in her thirties, let alone one that was four months gone with child. Then again, Anne had been looking forward to this day for the last few weeks.

When she had returned to London from onboard ship, the last thing that Anne had expected was to meet someone so similar in mindset to herself, let alone to meet that person in a London parlour. Yet, that was precisely what had happened. She had been at a deadly dull afternoon tea party hosted by some society lady that her godmother was acquainted with, when she had spotted a woman rolling her eyes at the small talk being exchanged. Anne had introduced herself and, in the last few months, she and Margaret Thornton had become firm friends.

The two of them were similar in many ways. Both women had had privileged upbringings, had had their lives turned upside down and, in the end, married men that their families considered beneath them. Beyond that, both Anne and Margaret were intelligent, educated young women who knew their own minds and weren’t afraid to speak them. Whilst Anne adored her sister-in-law, Sophy was the best part of a decade older than her and it was just nice to have someone her own age to spend time with, and she knew that Margaret felt the same.

Once Anne’s pregnancy had been confirmed by the doctors in London, Anne had made the decision to not return to the ship with Frederick. Whilst the ships surgeon was highly competent and had been more than acceptable whenever Anne had had to see him aboard ship, she did not want to entrust the life of her unborn child into his hands. The issue with her medical care was not the only reason that Anne had made her decision; she knew that she would not feel comfortable being aboard ship whilst pregnant and she knew that Frederick would be constantly fretting about her safety. No, although the idea of being parted from Frederick for the duration was nigh on unbearable, she knew that it was the best thing for them both. Besides, Frederick was only patrolling the fencibles and, all being well, by the time she gave birth, the war would be over.

Having made her decision to remain landbound for her pregnancy, the question arose as to where Anne would spend her confinement. Seeing an opportunity to build her bridges with Anne – or at least attempt to - Lady Russell had suggested that Anne remain in London with her but Anne, imagining nothing worse other than having to return to Bath and the rest of her family, had refused as diplomatically as possible. She had found she had grown inordinately fond of the sea in the four years that she had spent on-board ship with Frederick, and so Anne had decided to retreat to Lyme. Not only did it have the advantage of being by the sea, but it also meant that Anne was close neighbours with Mrs Harville, who was not only a mother herself several times over but had some nursing training. There was also the fact that Sophy, who was splitting her time between Bath and London so that the Admiral could alternately take the waters and do some work for the Naval Office, could easily visit, and she had done so multiple times. It had gone a long way to easing Frederick’s worry, knowing that Anne was looked after by his sister and the Harville’s.

Standing up to ease the slight pain in her back, Anne glanced out of the window and smiled as she saw a familiar figure walking down the Cobb to the house that she was renting. Making her way down the stairs as quickly as she could, Anne had the door open and was waiting impatiently when Margaret pushed the gate open and walked down the path, hands outstretched, and her face wreathed in smiles.

“Anne! Look at you, you look positively radiant!”

Despite Margaret’s kind words, Anne couldn’t help but grumble, even as she returned Margaret’s kisses to the cheek. “I certainly don’t feel it. I’ve spent the three months vomiting every morning, my back aches and I feel the size of a house already.”

“Pfft. Stuff and nonsense. You look beautiful. Now, me? I shall be the size of a house no doubt. I can also guarantee that nothing I do will be right according to my mother-in-law.”

“You’re pregnant?! Oh Margaret, how wonderful! Is John happy?”

“Happy is an understatement. Even the great Hannah Thornton deigned to crack a smile at the news which, of course, prompted Fanny to complain that she was happier about the fact that she was getting a grandchild from John and myself than she was about Fanny and Watson’s own progeny.” Margaret removed her hat and smiled ruefully at Anne. “You may well have company for the end of your confinement. John is delighted but the fussing is already ridiculous already. I foresee many arguments between us and his mother; he’s adamant that the air in Milton isn’t good for me or the baby but his mother insists that it never did him any harm.”

Anne ushered Margaret into the little front parlour, asking the maid to bring in tea. “Well, if it’s any consolation to you, Frederick is fussing just as much and he’s in command of two hundred men and manning the fencibles in the Channel. I don’t think I’ve ever received as much correspondence in my life.”

Anne waited until the tea had arrived and had been poured before she took Margaret’s hand in her own. “I can’t tell you how happy I am that you’re with child as well. We may live a considerable distance from each other, but our children can grow up together, will be friends.”

“More than that. They will be the very best of friends, just like their mothers.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you would prefer to comment on LJ, you can do so [here](https://vix-spes.dreamwidth.org/289989.html)
> 
> If you'd like to share the Tumblr post, you can find it [here](http://vix-spes.tumblr.com/post/168861338250/the-very-best-of-friends-vixspes-north-and)


End file.
